Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler)

By: Adam Freed

There are very few master filmmakers with the ability to work across genres, while still imprinting their unique stamp on a diverse array of source material.  Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) is very quickly joining the conversation of the world’s best, as he boldly leaves the realm of franchise entertainment to present his newest tour de force Sinners, a macabre portrait of sharecropper culture painted in rural Mississippi in 1932.  The greatest filmmakers have the ability to paint in every hue while simultaneously infusing into their worlds a feeling of complete immersion. There is very little left to question as to the extent of Coogler’s gifts after the transcendent director earned his meteoric rise beginning with the heartbreaking indie classic Fruitvale Station (2013), and from there went on to rehabilitate the Rocky franchise with the exciting and inspiring Creed (2015).  The cultural lightning rod  of Coogler’s young career though has been Black Panther (2018), a mythical story nestled in the supercharged Marvel Cinematic Universe, but unique enough in its voice that it ages more like an idyllic exemplar of representation and a communal celebration of black excellence.  Sinners on the other hand is a perfectly seasoned stew of the very best that the young director has to offer, an immersive film that smooths easily the boundaries of genre limitation to offer what can only be described as a full body experience.

What adds most distinctly to the overwhelming nature of Sinners is the influence that blues music holds on the film’s presentation.  Academy Award winning composer Ludwig Gӧransson (Oppenheimer) masterfully orchestrates the film’s score as a celebration of the roots of the delta blues as they are memorialized in Southern black culture.  Also adding to the rich amalgam present in Coogler’s film is the presence of a mythology that is deeply influenced by a religious tradition of good versus evil.  It is at this age-old inflection point that Sinners establishes its central conflict.  The story centers around two twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther).  The twins are Southern gangsters who tried their hand in the Chicago mob scene dominated at the time by Al Capone, only to return to their deeply segregated Mississippi town with a clear business plan in mind. The twins attempt to open their own blues nightclub in an abandoned mill to provide the local black community a place to celebrate in the music of their culture, as well as blow off some steam after a long week of working in the fields.  While a single actor playing multiple characters has certainly been done before, nowhere in Michael B. Jordan’s dynamic dual performance is there an ounce of gimmickry. The talented actor manifests two very different personalities and performances that only grow more individually distinct as the events of the film drive the characters in different directions. 

From its opening shot, Sinners leaves no question as to the magnificence of Ryan Coogler’s visual and audio artistry. The movie is brilliantly captured on 70mm IMAX film, a distinction that makes the impact of the film’s visual effects even more impressive.  One of the greatest compliments that a director can be given is a gifted ensemble willing to work under their tutelage. This is the case for Sinners, a film that features an impressive array of multigenerational on-screen talent. In addition to Jordan, the film stars Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods, Malcolm X), Andrene Ward-Hammond (Loving), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, The Edge of Seventeen) and a memorable musical performance from brilliant newcomer Miles Caton, who manifests a gifted young blues virtuoso by the name of Sammie Moore, through whom the film blurs the lines between light and dark. Ultimately, Sinners is just about as much fun as one can have watching a film in a shared space. Ryan Coogler’s dark and musical cultural story is soulful, sexual and downright scary.  Sinners needs to be seen on the largest screen possible. 

Target score 9.5/10 Sinners is undeniable proof that providing an immensely talented storyteller like Ryan Coogler with a budget and a team full of gifted craftspeople and actors, is a worthwhile proposition. Coogler’s delta blues infused period piece of dark rural lore is a revelation of both craft and narrative.  Original cinema is alive and well, and just waiting to be supported.